The field of the present invention relates to a filter and matte box support system or more simply a matte box assembly for use on a camera and, in particular, for use on professional motion picture or video cameras requiring a variety of different filters to achieve the desired high quality motion picture.
As set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,312, it is a well known practice in the professional motion picture industry to employ several different types of filters within a so-called matte box in front of the camera lens to produce the high quality of picture or special coloring or other visual effects desired for the motion picture. The filters may be of several different types including various color filters and light polarizing filters. Certain types of filters require rotation about the lens axis to achieve optimum results.
As cameras have been made smaller, it has been desirable for the entire camera system, including the matte box assembly and filters, to also be made smaller. A smaller filter and matte box assembly may result in a smaller, lighter, and less expensive device. Additionally, the closer the filters are to the lens, the smaller the filter may be. Therefore, a thinner or narrower filter holder may desirably place the filter as close as possible to the lens thereby maximizing overall size reduction of the filter and matte box assembly.
Moreover, existing matte box designs have a single point of support with consecutive filter support modules interconnected and supported consecutively to one another whereby rotation of a first filter will also rotate a second filter which is supported by the first filter. When the position of the first filter is adjusted, the second filter must either be readjusted or manually held in place during adjustment of the first filter.